


To Marry Free

by platinumfail



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, F/M, Free! - Freeform, Free! AU, Free! Desert AU, Free! End Credit AU, Kingdoms, Pregnancy, Pregnant!Nitori, end credit AU, fem! nitorin, fem! rintori, fem!Nitori, fem!aiichiro nitori/rin matsuoka, fem!nitori/rin, fem!nitorin, fem!rintori, knight Mikoshiba, nitorin - Freeform, prince Rin, princess Gou, rintori - Freeform, rule 63 Nitori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-24 04:18:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1591430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/platinumfail/pseuds/platinumfail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin Matsuoka is the crown prince of the desert kingdom, ready to take the place of king on his 18th birthday in just a few months…the only issue being finding a suitable princess to be his wife…and there’s only one girl who has his heart. And she’s not royalty. </p>
<p>An end-credit AU. </p>
<p>A fem!Nitori and Rin request prompt. </p>
<p>(Warning: Kind of long, I apologize <3)</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Marry Free

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Here I am with another request prompt from tumblr. (actuallycnn.tumblr.com)
> 
> An anon requested a Rin and Fem!Nitori end credit AU with Rin being the prince, as he is in the end credits. I made Ai a servant that was found by the Matsuoka family as an infant and went up from there. 
> 
> With the whole royal blood thing, I thought it would be an interesting idea to follow, since most royal families (at least in my AU mind) require the future king to marry someone of royal blood. 
> 
> Here's what I birthed  
> (lol no pun intended) 
> 
> ENJOY MY LOVELIES!   
> <3,  
> Kayla

            The Desert Kingdom ruled by the Matsuoka family has been without a king for several years due to an extreme flood that had left the kingdom in a permanent stage of drought afterwards. However, every citizen that resided in the kingdom knew exactly who would rise to become their king — the first born son of the deceased King Matsuoka — Rin. There was a crown princess 16 years of age named Gou, who was not to be wedded until her eighteenth birthday, since it was by her elder brother's demand and request, although the kingdom knew of Gou's suitor that would eventually become the girl's husband. Gou was basically wedded to the head knight of the kingdom, Seijuro Mikoshiba, who was a year older than the crown prince.

            The rules of the desert kingdom require each royal family member to wed at the age of eighteen, since that was the age the deceased king wedded his royal princess. It was a tradition steeped deeply into the blood of the Matsuoka family, and Rin knew he was to uphold that tradition to the highest caliber, even though his eighteenth birthday was in nine months. The heir had nine months to find a girl of noble blood to wed and create heirs with.

            The current dilemma wasn't who the king had his mind set on marrying. However, it was the fact that the girl he had every intention of wedding and bedding was a girl with _no_ noble blood. A lowly palace maid by the name of Aiichiro Nitori.

            Nitori was found outside of the palace approximately 16 years ago, found about a month after the princess Gou was born. Nitori's parents were never found or even spoken of, since the queen and king took in the infant curled up within a towel, sleeping soundly in a straw basket, as their own. While the child was never seen as a royal and kept somewhat under the rug as a palace maid, the Matsuoka family held the child close to their heart and always included her in several activities, basically making her one of their very own.

            Rin can still vaguely remember the night his parents found the basket in the back of the palace, their hushed whispers and scurrying of the maids waking the small red head up, him toddling after his father quickly, grasping onto his silk robes, his identical red eyes staring up at the man he called his father.

            "Rin's awake," His father spoke deeply, looking to his queen who quickly turned around and picked the toddler up, placing a kiss to his pale forehead.

            "I know...should I put him back to bed?"

            "No, take him to the nursery, I'll bring the infant there after the maids look her over." His father replied, ruffling his son's hair and briskly walking the opposite direction of his wife to the maid's quarters, the raggedy towel with the small lump within it held tight in his arms.

            Rin was carried to his baby sister's nursery, holding onto his mother's silk gown, blinking softly, almost falling asleep. His mother set him down in Gou's crib where he curled up next to his month-old sister, blinking up at his mother curiously before snuggling in closer to the miniscule infant who had begun to stir, the tufts of red hair on her smooth head fluttering in the commotion.           

            He soon heard his father's footsteps enter the room, the pads of his feet making soft noises against the rich marble floors. He watched intensely as the blanketed lump was handed to his mother, seeing her eyes light up and a giggle leave her regal lips. Rin struggled to sit up in the crib, being noticed by his father and quickly being picked up to have a bird's eye view on the curious little blanketed mass being held by the woman who gave him life. The king bounced his son carefully, holding him close as the queen pulled the blanket off of the newly revealed infant, her eyes wide and bright with striking blue irises in very stark contrast to the Matsuoka family's characteristic burgundy eye color. Rin watched with bated breath, his small hands reaching out for the pale infant, the girl's lavender colored hair soft like down, letting out a tiny and shy giggle at the feel of Rin's miniscule hands touching her cheeks, then trailing to her small plump lips. She squealed loudly, blinking, making Rin fall back against his father's chest in surprise.

            "The maids said she was very healthy. They gave her a little bath and she just loved it," The king smiled, kissing the top of his son's head.

            "Any word on who left her?" The queen inquired, gently laying the blue-eyed infant next to Gou, the two babies snuggling up to one another, hands intertwined.

            "No. The guards saw nothing." The king sighed, handing Rin to his wife.

            "Hm. There would be no harm in keeping the child..." The queen pondered, gently walking back to Rin's room to put him back to bed.

            Rin's small arms held around his mother's neck, his red eyes beginning to gently open and close, extremely exhausted. He felt himself be laid down upon his pile of brightly colored silk pillows, the elegant curtain around his bed swishing in the warm wind blowing in from the open walls, the smell of sand and the warm desert filling the toddler's nostrils as a thin cotton blanket was brought up to his chin by his father, feeling both of his parents leave soft kisses on his cheeks.

            "Good night, Rin..."

            From that day forward, Ai was raised alongside Rin and Gou, even though she didn't have royal lessons every single day — while Rin and Gou learned about their kingdom and proper etiquette, Ai was fluttering around the palace, greeting everyone and washing clothes, dishes, polishing gold and furniture, an unwavering smile on her fresh face. That's what Rin _loved_.

            Rin stretched and left his chamber for the day, elegantly stalking down the long brightly colored hallways in the palace, seeing his sister ahead of him giggling with Ai. He watched for a few moments, his red eyes drinking the slim maid in, trying to avoid what his sister was squealing about by going down another hallway. It was much too early to hear his baby sister gossip.

            "Seijuro asked for my hand!" Gou whispered, jumping up and down, her magenta silk dress moving with her like water, Ai's pale hand slapping over her sugar pink lips, blue eyes enlarging immensely.

            "He did? R-really? _Even after_ what Prince Rin said—"

            "Geez, Ai, stop calling my brother Prince Rin. We were raised together, call him _Rin_!" Gou chided, crossing her arms.

            "It's improper, Gou! Prince Rin is going to be king soon, and—"

            "Do as I say, Ai! You call me Gou, call Rin by his name!" Gou giggled, standing straight and asserting her dominance.

            "Fine, Gou...but _not_ to his face..." Ai blushed heavily, busying herself once again by going back down to her knees and polishing the marble floor. "but please keep telling me about Knight Mikoshiba." Ai encouraged, biting her lip as she scrubbed.

            "Oh, it was amazing, Ai~" Gou sang, putting her thin hands over her heart, looking up at the high ceiling, the golden details on the walls nearly sparkling in the early morning light, "you know how I snuck out last night, and you covered me by being with my brother?" Gou sighed, biting her lip.

            "Y-yes..." Ai embarrassingly stuttered, having a flashback when thinking about last night.

            While Ai swore up and down to Gou that she would never tell Rin about Gou's midnight plans, she was still locked into spending the majority of the night in Rin's chambers as Gou was having her rendezvous with none other than the kingdom's top knight, Seijuro. Ai, forever loyal to her best friend and princess, suck up all her nervous energy and knocked on the crown prince's door, her heart rapidly assaulting her ribcage.

            "Come in," Rin's deep voice called.

            Ai took a deep breath and walked into his large chamber, bowing softly.

            "Prince Rin." Ai breathed, blinking her cornflower blue eyes shut, a dull red shade settling on her high cheekbones.

            "Oh, Ai," Rin greeted, sitting up straighter on his pile of pillows, the dry desert air circulating around his open-walled room, his chest bare.

            "I-I came in to see if you needed a-any cleaning done..." Ai quickly stuttered, averting her eyes away from the man who haunted her thoughts every single day.

            Ai was madly in love with her prince, as almost every girl in the kingdom was. Rin was raised alongside Ai, and she watched the red head grow into who he was — a handsome, tall and clever prince. She remembered playing games with the prince, almost always sleeping with him in his bed when they were children, only stopping when they both turned 12, since the queen knew how rapidly their bodies were changing. Rin and Ai were still fairly close, but found themselves separated from each other for long periods of time, since the royal court knew where Rin's heart lay, as well as Ai's. It would be extremely improper for Rin and Ai to wed, let alone produce a heir. The biggest fear was Ai producing a heir out of wedlock. They knew that if Rin and Ai were to be alone in a room together for a night, there was no telling what emotions would come spilling out.

            Too bad Ai and Rin both separately dreamed of that happening nearly every single night.

            "You just cleaned and polished my room this morning, Ai..." Rin suspiciously asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the beautiful maid.

            "H-heh...I-I did?" Ai awkwardly questioned, her eyes rapidly looking _everywhere_ but at her prince.

            "Yes, you did..." Rin sighed and ran a slim hand through his hair. "Do you want to spend the night with me, Ai?" Rin almost purred, clearing his throat and looking away.

            Did he seriously just ask Ai to sleep with him?! He quickly stammered and cleared his throat once more.

            "I-I mean, stay with me, in my room? Is Gou asleep?" Rin saved himself, letting out a breath of relief.

            "U-um...yes! Princess Gou is asleep. She had me help her with her night gown and apply the moisturizer to her face before shutting her walls and telling her goodnight..." Ai guiltily lied, feeling horrible about completely fooling the future ruler of the desert kingdom.

            "Hm...why don't you ever come in and tell me goodnight, Ai? You used to do it all the time." Rin teased, leaning back on his pillows, his flirtatious red eyes nearly burning a hole right through Ai's chest.

            "I d-didn't know you still wanted me to..." Ai nervously giggled, her bony knees buckling.

            "Don't just stand there, come here..." Rin invited, scooting over so Ai could sit next to him.

            She took her place next to Rin's side, folding her hands together, blinking at the marble floors, the warm scented air filling the room as Rin stretched and sat up on the opposite side of Ai, studying her with his sharp eyes.

            "W-what did you do today, Prince Rin?" Ai inquired, biting her lip harshly.

            "Nothing much." Rin sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. "I was briefed on the kingdom by Mikoshiba again..." Rin let out a low groan, Ai's eyes widening.

            He mentioned Mikoshiba. The guy Gou was out with. Ai felt sweat beading at her hairline, quickly closing her eyes and stressing out.

            "Oh...?" Ai cracked, tilting her head politely.

            "Mmhm. The drought is getting much worse, so more merchants need to bring in water from the sea." Rin offered, blinking.

            "W-we're lucky to have all the water in the palace..." Ai swallowed, wanting the conversation to be over as soon as possible.

            She hated lying to Rin.

            "Yeah." Rin replied lazily, looking to his side and noticing the few rips in Ai's silken uniform, the light blue silk that graced her pale body having small dirt stains on it from all the hard work she had done for the day, the golden shawl she wore having various polish stains on it as well. The Matsuokas always had Ai very well dressed even though she was a high palace servant. "I'll tell the seamstress to make you a new dress." Rin offered, rolling his eyes playfully.

            "It's not necessary, Prince Rin..." Ai blushed, letting out a muted giggle.

            "I still want—"

            "Ai! Will you please come back to my room? We forgot to wash my hair for the night!" Gou chimed, peeking into her older brother's room, raising a thin burgundy eyebrow at her best friend and brother lying on the same pile of pillows.

            "Yes, Princess Gou." Ai smirked, standing up and stretching before bowing deeply to her prince. "Goodnight, Prince Rin." Ai shyly smiled, waving gently.

            "Goodnight, Ai..." Rin sighed, turning onto his side, disappointed that Ai was taken away so soon.

            Ai was brought back to the present when Gou grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her, a bright smile painted on the princess's lips.

            "Ai! Didn't you hear me?! Seijuro wants to wed me exactly on my 18th birthday!" Gou squealed once again, grabbing her best friend's hand and racing down the main hallway to the front of the palace, where Seijuro was stationed. "I wish I was older than Rin...then I could be wedded to Seijuro now..." Gou whined, shyly waving at her pledged knight.

            Seijuro looked up, a bright smile painting his face as he waved at his princess, his eyes averting over to Ai when he noticed the princess wasn't alone, sending a friendly wave and smile. Seijuro was somewhat protective of Ai, since they were somewhat similar in the castle's ranking. Ai happily waved back, turning her back and walking back into the palace with Gou.

            "I can't believe my brother's going to be wedded in nine months..." Gou sighed, running her slim and elegant fingers through her long burgundy locks.

            "Yeah...m-me neither..." Ai stammered, looking down at her feet, trying to hide her disappointment.

            Ai knew that there was no way in hell that she would be wedded to the love of her life. While she was well loved by the royal family and raised amongst them, there was one damning fact about her bloodline — it was not royal. Ai would not be able to produce "royal heirs" with Rin, since they'd only be half royal and would defy the marriage and bloodline of the Matsuoka family. Gou was able to marry Seijuro since she would most likely never rule the kingdom, and Seijuro did have a prominent knight bloodline, his family having served the Matsuoka family for centuries. Gou noticed and a sly smirk found its way onto her lips, crossing her arms.

            "You sound disappointed." She teased.

            "I-I...u-um...I-I'm _not_ disappointed, Gou!" Ai shot back, nervous, "I-I'm just g-going to...um...miss having it _just_ be the three of us—"

            "Ai, _seriously_. We _all_ know you love my brother." Gou snickered, walking into a new corridor, walking backwards, facing Ai.

            "Y-you don't know that—"

            "You _love_ Rin! Just _say_ it!" Gou giggled, throwing her arms up into the air.

            "No!" Ai protested, crossing her arms and sticking her nose up into the air.

            "Don't lie to your _princess_..." Gou teased, winking, "We all remember the time you and Rin kissed when he was 5 and we were 4. You all had a fake little palace wedding in the back garden and everyone got a big kick out of it...remember? You made me be the flower girl and little Seijuro was the priest! Rin was _so_ excited and he just kissed you right on the mouth and you kissed him back and our dad had to pry you two apart and Rin started crying and saying that he wanted to be with his wife and all that!" Gou let out a loud giggle, smirking.

            " _Shh_!" Ai hissed, glancing around.

            "And then Rin would sneak out and make you sleep in his room with him since that's what husbands and wives did and he got you this little crown he found! That was cute." Gou winked once more, nudging her best friend.

            "G-Gou..." Ai blushed awkwardly, biting her lip at the happy memory.

            "See! It's obvious! You still have that little crown!" Gou took in a loud inhale, " _AI LOVES RIN_ —"

            Ai leaped forward and tackled her best friend to the ground, a loud clatter going through the hallway as Rin turned a corner, seeing Ai pinning his little sister, a look of murder and embarrassment on Ai's face. He cleared his throat and Ai slowly looked up as Gou noticed and let out a loud musical cackle, having to cover her mouth to keep from guffawing at Ai's bad luck.

            "U-um..." Ai whimpered, rolling off of Gou, quickly standing up and bowing, "H-hello Prince Rin...i-is there anything I can do for you?" Ai swallowed, blinking back hot tears of pure embarrassment.

            "I was looking for you, Ai..." Rin smirked, crossing his arms and watching Ai slowly help Gou up.

            "I'm at your service, Prince Rin..." Ai whispered, bowing deeply.

            "Oh _please_ , Ai. Give us a break! You never bowed when we were younger. You started bowing when you were 12. What's up with that?" Gou complained, looking to her brother for guidance.

            Gou didn't notice the shy glance Rin and Ai shot each other, their cheeks heating up. Gou had no idea that Rin and Ai were "separated" at that age due to hormones and the imminent threat of Rin or Ai falling in love with one another and having to see their love burn to the ground once Rin turned 18. _Too late._

            "Gou, leave Ai alone." Rin growled at his sister, sending a warning glance.

            "Great, you too?" Gou sighed, flipping her hair and taking her leave, "Meet me by the fountain when you're done helping my brother, Ai!"

            "Yes, Gou." Ai smiled awkwardly, her glance going back over to Rin once Gou rounded the corner and was out of sight.

            Ai turned to Rin, pulling her gold shawl around her slim body, the pale blue silk that draped over her small chest and straight hips moving like liquid with her, her cornflower blue eyes looking into the prince's bright red ones. The contrast between the colors was so grand that it was almost an art. Ai bit her lip and stared at the ground, hearing Rin clear his throat.

            "As you know, Ai, I'm...to be wed a few months from now," Rin began, motioning the girl to follow him.

            Ai followed obediently, trying to hold the tears back in her eyes. She was dreading this day for several years, taking her long lavender-gray hair and playing with it, blinking back her heated tears, clearing her throat.

            "Y-yes, I'm aware."

            "I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping me...prepare for this occasion." Rin sighed, running a hand through his hair as he and Ai passed by the lavish main hall, the afternoon sun spilling in, several palace workers flitting around, all bowing once Rin walked in.

            "Of course I'd be interested, Prince Rin." Ai smiled sadly, blinking. "I'd love to."

            "I'm glad..." Rin smiled, gently touching the girl's hand.

            Ai sucked in a breath.

            "I-I'd do anything!" Ai blurted, her eyes widening, wincing. Oops, there it is.

            "I know..." Rin affectionately affirmed, continuing to walk past the main hall with the girl that made his heart skip beats.

            "What would you like help with?" Ai inquired, walking close to the man who smelled like the bright desert sun.

            Rin walked into his bedroom, Ai quickly following as he shut the door. He took a deep breath and his burgundy eyes scanned the room, quickly closing the open slots in his room, the room going dark. Ai swallowed dryly. _What was Rin doing?_

            "Ai. What I'm going to tell you is something that you can't tell anyone...not even Gou, okay?" Rin solemnly spoke, sitting Ai down on his pillows, lying next to her. Ai nodded.

            "Y-yes, Prince Rin."

            "I don't...I-I don't want to be king." Rin whispered, looking up into Ai's cyan irises.

            Ai let out a loud audible gasp, shocked.

            "R-Rin!" Ai exclaimed, dropping off the Prince title for the first time in years, "D-Do you _hear_ yourself?" She whimpered, sitting closer to him.

            "I-I've thought about it for awhile, Ai...and I...I just...I _don't_ want it." Rin cursed, looking away. "I _knew_ you wouldn't understand..." He hissed.

            "No! I understand...I just...I want to know _why_." Ai whimpered once more, curling up.

            She felt Rin sit closer to her, surprised when she felt two large warm hands encase her small cold ones, their noses touching.

            "Because..." Rin cleared his throat awkwardly. "B-because...the girl I want to wed and make an heir with... _isn't royal_." Rin breathed, one of his hands going up to touch Ai's pale cheek.

            "R-really?" Ai's heart dropped.

            She was truly oblivious sometimes. She tried to hold her tears back. She knew that it wasn't her. Even if she wasn't royal, there was still no way that Rin harbored feelings for her. Those things simply did not happen to Aiichiro Nitori. Ai had already come to terms with her cruel fate. She was going to watch the love of her life be wedded to a beautiful princess from another kingdom, watch Rin and the aforementioned princess create a family of little heirs running around. Ai couldn't even fathom the hurt in seeing if the children Rin produced would look just like him and act like him. Ai's plump bottom lip wriggled painfully, her insides turning inside out. It was just _grand_ — Rin actually didn't want to marry a royal and Ai wasn't even the non-royal he wanted to marry. She looked away quickly.

            "Really." Rin breathed, obviously not picking up on Ai's obvious pain.

            However, the next action Rin took chased away all of Ai's doubts.

            "I want to marry you, Ai..." Rin breathed into the girl's ear, grasping her cheeks and yanking her forward, his thin lips impacting the stark contrast of Ai's plump ones, her letting out a muffled noise of surprise before moaning, feeling Rin climb on top of her slim body.

            They squirmed with each other for a few moments, getting into a comfortable lying position, grabbing fistfuls of the other's hair, letting small noises of pleasure and surprise escape the back of their throats. Ai pulled away, gasping for air.

            "R-Rin...y-you know...y-you can't turn down being king...p- _please_..." Ai begged as Rin's lips moved to her milky neck.

            " _I don't care_..." Rin managed to mumble.

            "I want you to be _my_ king..." Ai begged once again, tears welling up in her eyes. "If you love me, you'll become the king the kingdom needs." Ai shakily cried, grasping hold of Rin's hands, squeezing. "I'll be here the whole time..."

            "Ai...I have to marry a princess to officially become king..." Rin reasoned, shaking his head furiously. "You're _not_ a princess...I _don't want_ a princess..." Rin sighed, his body fully covering Ai's in a warm embrace.

            "Rin—"

            "Please, Ai...look, Gou can become the queen, and I'll even let her wed Mikoshiba early, Ai..." Rin's voice cracked in desperation. "I just don't want to marry anyone else."

            "M-marry me..." Ai breathed shakily, her lips slamming on top of Rin's once again, wrapping her long legs around his hips, the cool silk of her dress bagging up around her waist as she held tighter. "become king and marry me..." Ai cried, running a thin hand through his hair once again.

            "Ai...y-you know that isn't how the kingdom works—"

            "Mikoshiba isn't royal..." Ai protested, feeling Rin's feverish lips leave blazing trails on her jaw line and neck, feeling his sharp teeth nip at the juncture between her collarbone and neck.

            "But his family has a history with ours—"

            "I know..." Ai whined in a high pitched voice, the pleasure and surprise she was receiving from Rin being just too much for her overloaded brain. "is there any way...?" Ai managed to pant before letting out a small musical moan at the knee Rin separated her thighs with.

            "I've been searching for a way for a long time, Ai..." Rin sighed, continuing his ministrations, letting all of the hormones and feelings he had harbored out.

            "H-have you found any?" Ai moaned once again, her head lilting back among the silk pillows.

            "Th-there is _one_..." Rin swallowed, nipping the shell of Ai's ear, causing shivers to run up her spine.

            "Wh—"

            " _We produce a male heir_." Rin whispered, shutting his eyes tightly.

            Ai's heart stopped beating. She dryly swallowed, shakily breathing in air. Her fingers trembling as she put a hand to Rin's smooth face. She looked into his handsome slim face, her fingers tracing his elegant and royal bone structure.

            "W-we..."

            "I-It was done a few centuries ago..." Rin reasoned, stopping his hands from roaming the servant's body, "my father's great-great-great grandfather...he w-was in love with this peasant girl..." Rin began, biting his lip in anxiety, "and he bedded her...she produced a male heir and the kingdom allowed them to wed...but only because the heir was male." Rin blinked, his hands once again touching her cheeks.

            "I...I remember reading about that." Ai replied, her voice dreamy.

            "That's the only way...my 18th birthday is in 9 months, Ai..." Rin swallowed, nudging Ai's forehead with his own, kissing her temple. "If we conceive tonight...the child will be born on the day of my 18th birthday...and if it's a son, we'll be wedded."

            "What if it's a girl?" Ai dared to whisper, eyes showing apprehension and fear.

            "I'll see what I can do, Ai..." Rin once again left a trail of kisses from her temple to her jaw, soothing her. "Either way, we'll have a child...th-that links us."

            "That's...Rin...I don't know if I'll be able to...it's such a large responsibility..." Ai cried, burying her face in his shoulder, ashamed of her doubts.

            "I-I know..." Rin glared down, mad at himself. "Please...just...forget what I said—"

            "No, Rin..." Ai took a deep breath. "I want to...either way...we'll be together..." Ai reasoned to herself, shaking her head, "whether it's a boy or a girl..."

            Ai winced, unable to believe that she just blindly agreed to Rin's request. While the kingdom did usually have young brides and young husbands, the usual marrying age being 16, Ai couldn't hold back her anxiety. She was just 16, about to turn 17, and Rin would be turning 18. Of course, there was only a year difference, but Ai knew that if she got pregnant, everything would change. How would they cover up the pregnancy for all those months until she gave birth? What would Ai tell Gou? What would Ai tell Seijuro? Ai's eyes widened. The queen would be back from the ocean kingdom in 6 months. Ai would definitely have a rounded abdomen that shows the obviousness of the deed she participated in.

            Ai took a deep breath and looked up at Rin, biting her lip softly. Her chest stopped tightening and she felt her lungs open up after looking into his face. She swallowed and looked up at him once more, scooting closer. She tilted her head and gently leaned in, leaving a soft whisper of a kiss on his lips, feeling his lips capture hers, the kiss quickly getting heated as they laid back down, Ai feeling Rin's thin fingers snake into her gown, her slim fingers daringly touching his bare chest, her breathing stunting when he laid a warm hand on a small breast. Ai let out a small moan and relaxed, nuzzling into his neck.

\--

            Ai glared down at her growing abdomen, the smooth round shape of her lower tummy beginning to stick out under her silk gown. Ai knew that her bump would become painfully obvious due to her slim frame. It was currently late at night and the queen was back at the palace, very surprised at how her young Ai got pregnant while she was gone.

            The small detail the queen did not know, however, was that it was her royal son's baby. While Queen Matsuoka was an elegant and refined ruler that loved her children to kingdom come, she was also deeply rooted in tradition, since she was to continue the legacy of her husband's family until Rin turned 18. The queen was obviously very relieved that she only had a few months left at the throne, happy to have another king with her late husband's last name take the throne that was rightfully his. While the queen did not know that Ai was pregnant with Rin's baby, the rest of the palace knew.

            Gou was the first to find out of course, when Ai was spending the night with her best friend and waking up early in the morning to vomit. This continued for several days until Gou talked Ai into telling her what was wrong.

            "G-Gou, you have to _promise_ to not tell _anyone_ , okay?"

            "Of course, Ai! My lips are sealed!"

            "I'm pregnant...w-with Rin's baby."

            Needless to say, Gou nearly popped her jaw with how low it went. It was quite the shocker, and while Gou definitely approved, she couldn't keep her little mouth shut. That's how Seijuro found out, who was happy as can be, but concerned. Seijuro knew of the kingdom's tradition, and was sure to bring back all these fertility potions and remedies from the caravans in the large town center to produce a little boy. Gou and Seijuro were both very excited, but when Rin found out that the loudest people in his kingdom knew, he nearly blew a fuse. He wasn't upset at Ai, but he made Gou and Seijuro pledge to him that they would tell nobody else...or he'd stop their eventual wedding.

            That worked for about a _week_.

            The eldest maids soon found out about who the father of the baby was, and were blushing from the scandal of it all. A palace servant...impregnated by none other than the crown prince who was soon to be king? It seemed like it came right out of a storybook. Miraculously, the queen never heard a single tale about Rin and Ai's situation...and if she did, she was obviously approving of it. However, Ai and Rin both knew that their luck wasn't all that great. They didn't want to straight out tell the queen that her own son and adopted "daughter" had sex with one another and have produced a potential male heir for the throne and the gateway to their desired marriage.

            Ai wished she knew all the side effects of pregnancy before she climaxed with Rin that night. While there was a delicious bliss during that desperately awaited moment, it was in no ways fair to compare the pain she felt now. Ai's morning sickness subdued a month or so ago, but it was keeping up with palace work that was so hard. The queen, forever kind to the girl that was like her daughter, told her to not worry about palace commitments for the time being and to focus on keeping Ai's child healthy and nurtured.

            Perhaps the stickiest part of this whole pregnancy situation was coming up with a name for Ai's "husband" that was the father of her developing baby. Rin quickly stammered out that her husband was out travelling abroad, which was very hard to explain to his mother. Just having a flashback of it gave him a grumpy feeling.

            "Oh, do I know him?" The queen asked, tilting her head.

            "Uh...yes! You do!" Ai chimed to her queen, not wanting to lie.

            _Theoretically_ , she wasn't.

            "Well who is he, Ai?"

            "Um...well, Rin knows him better..." Ai stammered, staring at the real father of her baby for help.

            "Uh, yeah! Um, he's a traveler, mother."

            "A traveler?" The queen questioned, tilting her head once again.

            "Yes. He's in the ocean kingdom now. He's going to be there for...um...a year or so before returning." Ai smiled, swallowing back a load of vomit in her throat. She felt incredibly guilty.

            "Well, what's his name, Ai?" The queen giggled, crossing her arms.

            "It's um..." Rin began, his eyes darting around the room.

            Ai took a deep breath and knew that Rin was going to basically explode when she said it, but let out a slow exhale. In order to save her and Rin's beautiful little "lie" she'd have to pull out all the stops...whether they were logical or not.

            "His name is Haruka Nanase!" Ai quickly exclaimed, wincing.

            Rin slowly turned towards the mother of his child, flames igniting in his eyes. Ai swallowed dryly and let out an awkward chuckle, seeing Rin tense up, his face contorted into one of disgust and mild anger. Just _fathoming_ that Nanase could be the _father_ of Ai's unborn baby made his skin _crawl_.

            "Oh! The Nanase boy! I haven't seen him in _years_. Why, the last time I saw him, he was a little nobility child from the ocean kingdom! How sweet. Rin, do you remember him? He was your best friend when you were a child. You guys used to swim all the time in the—"

            "Yes mother, I _remember_." Rin seethed, crossing his arms tightly.

            "That's so sweet, Ai! Oh, I can't wait to see your baby. May I touch your bump?" The queen kindly giggled, holding out her slim hands.

            "O-of course..." Ai breathed, standing forward. Little did the queen know she was basically feeling her grandchild.

            "Oh! He kicked!" She grinned, pride leaking out of all her features.

            Rin's eyes widened and he quickly put his hand on Ai's miniscule bump, his eyes lighting up. He quickly looked away and crossed his arms. He had to show that he wasn't impressed that his — wait, _Haruka's_ — baby just kicked for one of the first times ever.

            "Y-yeah... _he_ doesn't kick often..." Ai smiled, emphasizing the 'he' pronoun, glancing over to Rin. She was praying with everything she had.

            "Let's talk about the Nanase boy, Ai. When are you guys planning your wedding? I would like to hold it here as soon as he gets back from his travels. He was such an adorable little boy, and I'm sure he's very handsome now. Is he, Ai?" The queen smiled, her eyes bright.

            "U-um..." Ai shakily looked over at Rin who looked away, biting his lip to keep from spewing out profanities.

            "Yes. He is..." Ai whimpered quietly, hoping that Rin didn't take it as such.

            "I'm sure your little baby is going to look just like him! The baby will be a boy, no doubt. You have excellent son-bearing hips. You guys have nearly the same color eyes. The baby will most likely have the Nanase family's raven black hair. Oh, he'll be so _adorable_ , Ai! I cannot wait. Please rest and relax. I don't want you putting stress on that beautiful baby. We'll happily house both you and Haruka in the palace, unless, of course, you want to live in your husband's original kingdom."

            Rin was brought back to the present by the disgusting shiver that made its way up his spine. He was currently lying down with Ai in his room, putting a nervous hand over her rounded bump, letting out a shy smile.

            "He kicked again."

            "I know. I can feel it." Ai teased, letting out a small sigh, wincing. "He never stops anymore, Rin." She groaned, her blue eyes raking over Rin's body. "He _hurts_."

            "It won't be too long now, Ai...My 18th birthday is in 3 months...you just have 3 more months to go..." Rin assured, kissing Ai's forehead.

            "Ah!" Ai gasped, sitting up.

            "What's wrong?!" Rin cried, nervous.

            "I..." Ai let out a small giggle, "I think he has the hiccups..." Ai laughed, putting Rin's hand back on her tummy. "Do you feel it? It's little vibrations..." Ai smiled, a blush rising to her cheeks.

            "Y-yeah..." Rin smiled, rubbing her lower abdomen, curious to how Ai's thin frame could nurture such a large bump.

            "So...3 months." Ai sighed blissfully, biting her lip. "3 months until the queen finds out." Ai whimpered, the reality setting in.

            "Oh, Ai—"

            "Rin...the baby is going to look nothing like Haruka—"

            "Well, _duh_. It's _not_ his baby!" Rin snapped, crossing his arms, obviously still pissed about Ai's name drop.

            "I'm sorry, Rin..." Ai grumbled, blinking back tears. "It was the only believable name I could think of!"

            "I know..." Rin took a deep breath. "It's alright."

            "When the baby comes out, he's _not_ going to have black hair...he's not even going to look _remotely_ like Haruka. The queen will know. The baby won't look anything like me either. Your traits are dominant. They've been dominant throughout your entire family line, no matter who married who..." Ai panicked, "He'll have your hair and eyes...and then the queen will _know_..." Ai let out a tearful hiccup. "What if she _banishes_ me, Rin?" Ai wailed, plopping her head onto his chest.

            Rin took a deep breath and soothed Ai, rubbing her back gently, feeling her breathing level out. She had obviously gone to sleep. Rin was used to Ai's worries, since the pregnancy made her hormones act out at the snap of a finger. One moment Ai would be happy and giggling and the next she would be growling at Rin to not touch her. One moment Ai wouldn't be hungry. The next moment, Ai would be starving and begging the kitchen staff to make her more food. Rin held his lover close, gently wrapping his arm around her abdomen, kissing her forehead.

\--

            Three months had passed and Ai's water broke. Rin was leaning up against the wall outside of the midwife's room, hearing Ai's muted whimpers and cries, wishing he could be in there with her. The midwife of the kingdom was very strict about having men that weren't the father around. Rin, who knew he could not declare his status as the father in the fear of his mother finding out, kept his mouth shut and loyally waited outside the door, his head in his hands. A million thoughts raced through his head. Was Ai alright? What if she passed out from the pain? What if the baby doesn't come out? What if the baby gets _stuck_?! Rin took another deep breath and brought his knees to his chest, seeing Gou rush in with a large bowl of water and several towels.

            "How are you?" Gou asked in a hushed whisper, biting her lip.

            "Worried." Rin groaned, rubbing his eyes.

            "Well, I'll be in there with Ai the whole time, so it's okay. I'll come out and give you updates." Gou kindly smiled, quickly going into the room, handing the midwife the materials she demanded.

            The queen was currently at Ai's side, holding her hand. She laid an eloquent hand on Ai's forehead, holding a washcloth in her other, blotting at the teen's forehead. Ai looked up at Gou and blinked, swallowing.

            "She said I'll be ready to push in a few minutes..." Ai let out a small worried whimper, looking around the room with wild eyes.

            Gou sent Ai a worried look, biting her lip. She knew that when Ai pushed the baby out all would be revealed. The sex of the child and the father. Gou wished she knew of a way to get her mother out of the room for damage control, but knew that it was no use. Her mother looked at Ai as a daughter and Gou knew that no matter how much she begged the queen she would not budge an inch. The midwife gently rubbed Ai's rounded abdomen, sending the girl a sweet smile.

            "Okay, Ai...we're going to start pushing now, okay?"

            "O-Okay..." Ai stammered, blinking back anxious tears.

            Gou quickly stepped out of the room, bolting up to Rin and taking a deep breath.

            "Ai's going to push now!" She exclaimed, blinking down at her older brother who acted like he just had a heart attack.

            "What?! Right _now_?!" Rin cried, Gou grabbing his hand to keep him from walking in.

            "Yes, right _now_! I need to go back in. You have to stay back here. The midwife will flip if you come in again." Gou scolded, sending Rin a serious look before walking back into the room where Ai's whimpers were beginning to increase.

            "Okay, Ai, when I say push, I want you to push for a full 10 seconds, okay?" The midwife cooed, squeezing Ai's hand.

            Ai winced, the queen blotting the lavender-haired girl's forehead once again, leaving a small kiss.

            "You can do it, Ai."

            "I-I know..." Ai swallowed once again, pushing as hard as she could when the midwife commanded her to.

            "Oh! I see the crown of his head!" Gou squealed loudly, clapping her hands.

            "Oh, your baby's going to have a full head of hair, Ai!" The queen giggled happily.

            Ai felt her stomach drop. A head full of _burgundy_ hair. Not _black_.

            "Push." The midwife instructed once more, relaxing Ai's shoulders as she pushed once more.

            "Ai! He's coming out! _He's coming out_!" Gou screamed as if she was watching a game, clapping her hands even louder.

            Ai knew that Rin must be feeling tortured out in the hallway, hearing all the women's excited squeals as he was forbidden to see.

            "One last push should do it..." The queen encouraged, looking to the midwife.

            "Are you ready to meet him?" Gou teased, biting her lip once more.

            "Y-yeah..." Ai swallowed, pushing one last time.

            " _He's out_!" The queen screamed, a quiet cry filling up the room.

            Ai felt the pressure in her lower abdomen decrease, flopping her back against the pillows, closing her eyes.

            The midwife rapidly cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the baby up in a towel, cleaning it up so that Ai wouldn't be holding a baby covered in blood and other matter. Ai looked up weakly when Rin rushed in, not wanting to be outside while his own child was being cleaned up. He looked to his mother, Gou, and then Ai, a small smile on his face. Ai wished that handsome smile of his could reassure her.

            She _really_ wished.

            The midwife came over to Ai and set the bundle down in her limp arms, a weak smile finding its place on Ai's lips as she looked down.

            "Congratulations, Ai. It's a boy."

            Ai's eyes widened as she looked up at Rin, a surprised giggle leaving her parted lips. Rin quickly kneeled down beside Ai, looking into his son's face. His face was pale yet a bit red, blotchy from crying.

            "Aw...hello..." Ai smiled, looking down at her child, then over to Rin.

            "Hi..." Rin breathed, seeing the baby fully open his eyes.

            It was the shocking red color that the Matsuoka family possessed. The baby's eyes lit up with the recognition of his mother and father's voice, letting out a muted squeal. Ai nervously patted down her son's feathery hair, seeing that it was a deep red color. Ai winced as the queen and Gou came in for a closer look.

            "Congratulations, you two." The queen winked, letting out a small laugh.

            "W-wait... _what_?!" Gou, Rin and Ai chorused, their eyes widening.

            "I said congratulations." The queen repeated, raising an eyebrow.

            "Y-you...y-you're _okay_ with...?" Rin stammered, in an obvious state of shock.

            "I can read both of you like a book. I was kind of offended that you two thought you could pass off such an ill-rehearsed lie in front of me. _Haruka Nanase_? I saw the young man while I was visiting the ocean kingdom. You should've picked another nobility from one of the other kingdoms, you two." The queen teased, holding out her arms to hold her first grandchild.

            Ai shakily handed him over, feeling tears leak out of her eyes.

            "So..."

            "So, yes. I'm okay with this. I was delighted when I saw your bump, Ai. I knew _exactly_ who the father was. It wasn't very _hard_ to tell...with Rin fluttering around you like a panicked guard dog. Of course, he always did that when you two were little, but never on this scale." The queen whispered kindly, making little faces to the newest edition to the royal family.

            "That's going to be so weird, having Ai as a sister-in-law." Gou spoke up, wiping the small tears out of her eyes.

            "Why are you crying?" Rin interrogated, crossing his arms.

            "Because! I just saw the miracle of birth! You're just jealous because you didn't get to see it!" Gou exclaimed, sticking out her tongue.

            The baby let out a squeal at seeing Gou stick out her tongue at his father, his little hands reaching back over for his mother. Ai happily took the infant back, rocking him back and forth.

            "I believe the wedding should take place a month from now...so that Ai can rest from this nerve-wracking pregnancy." The queen smiled, placing a kiss on each of their foreheads, a proud smile beaming.

            "That sounds nice." Rin commented, putting a gentle hand on Ai's face, not able to wipe the smile off of his face.   

            "You two both know that your father would be proud. He predicted this, you know." The queen winked, leaving the room.

            Rin and Ai watched Gou follow her mother out, and Ai snuggled up against the future king, a content look on her face. The baby was sound asleep and she bit her lip before letting out a strained giggle.

            "There's only one thing left to do."

            "What's that?" Rin asked, dazed.

            "We have to pick his name."


End file.
